1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit and method for identifying a computer microprocessor and its features during start-up and operation.
2. Description of Related Art
During computer operation, identifying the origin and family of the processor in a computer system can be useful. Identification of the origin is useful to verify that the microprocessor will perform to the quality and performance standards of the original. During initialization and boot up operations, identifying the microprocessor family, model, and stepping ID is important so that particular features can be installed by the initialization software. Identification of the microprocessor can be useful while installing or running software.
Microprocessors are complex electrical circuits formed in a semiconductor chip. Microprocessors are the heart of modem computers, and an industry has developed around designing and fabricating them. Many research and development dollars have been spent and continue to be spent to develop higher performance microprocessors. The result has been a large increase in processing speed, far greater processing capabilities, and a marked decrease in the physical size of computers.
A wide variety of microprocessors are available from a number of vendors. Microprocessors vary in their features and their errata ("bugs"). Even similar microprocessors can have significant variations from vendor to vendor.
Software designers (i.e., programmers) design their programs to operate on a specific microprocessor with specific features. A programmer cannot be certain that his program will operate in the intended manner on any other microprocessor. To a programmer and to a user, even minor inconsistencies in operation may be more than just a nuisance: they may be fatal to program operation or provide incorrect results.
It would be an advantage to provide a microprocessor that can identify its origin to a program. It would also be an advantage if the microprocessor could identify its features. If such a microprocessor could identify its origin and its features, programmers could design their programs to verify the origin, enable appropriate features, and know that programs will operate as intended. It would also be a further advantage if the microprocessor could provide information that identifies the individual microprocessor by family, model, and stepping ID in addition to the origin and features of the microprocessor.